OCTOBER 2015 Reformed A MAGAZINE FOR THE CHRISTIAN FAMILY Volume 34 Issue No. 12 CELEBRATING 30+ YEARS LEST WE FORGET On May 5, 2015 the Netherlands celebrated the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II with a re-enactment of their liberation ORTH N W O S TI W N E G N .. NOTA BENE picture by Robert Hoetink / Shutterstock.com p. 6 IN A NUTSHELL • FROM THE EDITOR • BOOK REVIEWS • CROSSWORD Is this not your copy of Reformed Reformed PERSPECTIVE Perspective? A MAGAZINE FOR THE CHRISTIAN FAMILY Published monthly by the Foundation for the publication of a Reformed Social-Political Magazine (Reformed Perspective Foundation). 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Registration: ISSN 0714-8208 Charitable Organization under Canada Income Tax Act TODAY Registration No. 118929272RR0001 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: One Beghin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R2J 3X5 1-855-527-1366 reformedperspective.ca ReformedPerspective.ca 2 / OCTOBER 2015 CONTENTS AUSTRIA'S MAUTHAUSEN CONCENTRATION CAMP CREMATORIUMS IS IT EVER PERMISSIBLE TO LIE? p.14 by Piet Jongeling OUR REMARKABLE SUN P.10 – Spike Psarris FROM THE EDITOR P.5 – Jon Dykstra NOTA BENE P.6 IN A NUTSHELL P.12 THE VICTORY OF FAITH EDITH CAVELL: – Reimer Faber A BRAVE GUIDE MAKING THE CASE FOR p.11 - Christine Farenhorst MORAL FOSSIL FUELS P.24 p.20 – Michael Wagner REVIEWS P.32 REFORMED PERSPECTIVE / 3 COMICS 4 / OCTOBER 2015 FROM THE EDITOR Persistent widows, one and all uring the election campaign it does that mean we can’t do anything for This woman got her justice, and not Dwasn’t always clear who our next the unborn legislatively? because she won the judge over, and not prime minister was going to be. What No. Jesus told a story two thousand because the unjust judge was replaced by was clear was that no matter who won, years ago about a persistent widow (Luke someone better. No, she got her justice the unborn were going to lose. We had a 18:1-8) and while He didn’t intend it first because she would not shut up. In a coun- pro-choice prime minister going in, and and foremost to serve as a guide to how try in which there are no electable pro-life we have one still. And the situation we best to engage in effective pro-life politi- leaders, this is what we can still do – we face is that before we next go to the polls cal action, it is that too. There once was a can persist! We can continue speaking, again another half million children will judge, Jesus tells us, “who neither feared writing, demonstrating, donating, and be killed. God nor cared what people thought.” volunteering, knowing that no matter This is wickedness on a grand scale, Living in the same town there was a how dire the political circumstances are, but it’s also a routine sort of evil. It hap- widow in need of help, and her only God can make use of our persistence in pens to one baby at a time, every couple means of getting justice was to turn to big ways and small to bring justice to the of minutes or so, and during regular this judge. So what to do when faced with unborn and glory to Himself. business hours. A boy, then maybe a an unjust judge? And we must also remember the real girl, one after another, ripped from point of this parable, which Jesus told to their mother’s womb, torn apart and the “[She] kept coming to him with the encourage us to persistent in our prayers. pieces collected. Just another profitable plea, ‘Grant me justice against my Casting our vote is important, but it is only murder, efficiently executed, done at the adversary.’ For some time he refused. a small, one time thing. Our God is big insistence of the child’s parents and with But finally he said to himself, ‘Even and ever near us. And He wants to hear the approval of this government and this though I don’t fear God or care what from us – He asks us to be persistent in our prime minister. people think, yet because this widow requests to Him. So let us pray for the un- We could see this result coming, but keeps bothering me, I will see that she born and for our country without ceasing! now that we’re here what’s to be done? gets justice, so that she won’t eventu- Jon Dykstra can be reached at Parliament is decidedly pro-choice, so ally come and attack me!’” [email protected]. REFORMED PERSPECTIVE / 5 HILTON AND THE PERSISTENT ANTI-PORN ACTIVISTS BY JON DYKSTRA News worth noting his summer the Hilton chain of hotels announced T they had removed all porn channels from their hotels, which are in 85 countries around the world. Part of the credit of this change, accord to Pat Truman, head of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, was due to “the public pressure.” His group organized a three year campaign that saw the company's top executives getting as many as 1,000 emails each week asking for the removal of the EZRA LEVANT MAKES THE CASE FOR ETHICAL OIL porn. BY JON DYKSTRA While Truman didn’t mention the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8), his eff orts bear a striking resemblance to hers. In this story Jesus tells of a widow who kept asking for justice day in and day out, and got it from a judge who was motivated only by his wish to have her leave him alone. While the point of this parable is about much more than laying out an eff ective method of dealing with uncaring offi cials, as Hilton management can attest, it is indeed an eff ective method. arlier this year Canadian have to turn to countries like Saudi BRITISH MPS VOTE DOWN journalist and well-known Arabia, Venezuela and Iran where ASSISTED SUICIDE E personality Ezra Levant human rights are not respected. As BY JON DYKSTRA made a trip south of the Levant explained, n September British border to try to convince Americans parliamentarians voted 330- …every day, your president says no that Canadian oil is not only a good I 118 against a bill that would deal, but an ethical one. It might to [Canadian oil], he’s saying yes have enlisted doctors to help sound strange to call Canada’s oil to Venezuelan crude – what I call kill suicidal patients.